Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness News weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.
Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.
You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.
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Aioli is the quintessential Provençal condiment, a very pungent garlic mayonnaise that in its home country contains more garlic than the version below – which is already pretty garlicky. It’s easy enough to make, and wonderful with all sorts of vegetables, like greens, steamed artichokes and asparagus. All it requires of the eater is a taste for raw garlic.
The quintessential Provençal condiment.
A variation that is generally served with bouillabaisse and other fish soups.
Steamed Cod With Favas and Aioli
This dish was inspired by leftovers, but its appeal makes it a candidate for a dinner party.
This parade of simply cooked fish and vegetables keeps the spotlight on the rich garlicky mayonnaise.
Warm Chickpea and Green Bean Salad With Aioli
Flavorful liquid left from cooking the beans is used to thin out the aioli, making a pungent dressing for this salad.
Aioli Pan Bagnat or Stuffed Pita
A garlicky niçoise salad on a bun or in a pita makes for a filling but light meal.
Half of Heart Patients Make Medication Errors
by Kathleen Doheny
Even With Pharmacists’ Help, Errors Common, Researchers Find
July 2, 2012 — After leaving the hospital, many heart patients experience medication errors, even if they have extra help from pharmacists, according to new research.
Although previous studies have found that about 20% of patients have some problem with their prescription medicine after discharge, the new study found errors more widespread.
“We found that approximately 50% of patients had either a potentially avoidable adverse drug event or some other problem with their medicine that had the potential to cause harm if left uncorrected,” says researcher Sunil Kripalani, MD, associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.
Shingles Vaccine May Be OK for Autoimmune Patients
by Denise Mann
Study: Vaccine Cuts Shingles Risk for People Taking Immunity Suppressing Drugs
July 5, 2012 — The live-virus shingles vaccine may be safe for people with autoimmune conditions and for those taking immunity-suppressing drugs.
The provocative finding comes from a study of 463,541 people aged 60 and older with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, or other autoimmune conditions such as psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Some of these people were taking powerful biologic drugs that fight autoimmune disease but leave a person vulnerable to infections.
Parenthood May Reduce the Risk of Catching a Cold
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Finds Parents Were Half as Likely as Non-Parents to Get Sick When Exposed to Cold Viruses
July 6, 2012 — A new study suggests that being a parent may boost immunity to cold-causing viruses, though researchers acknowledge it may not always feel that way.
In a series of experiments where adults had viruses placed directly into their noses, parents were about half as likely to get sick as adults who did not have children.
Researchers are quick to say, however, that the study doesn’t mean that parents get fewer colds, overall, than people who don’t have kids.
Caffeine Linked to Lower Skin Cancer Risk
by Rita Ruben
Still, Best Protection Is Minimizing Sun Exposure
uly 2, 2012 — That refreshing glass of iced coffee or iced tea might do more than cool you off in the summer heat. A new study of nearly 113,000 men and women found a link between those who took in the most caffeine and a lower risk of the most common type of skin cancer.
About 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and 4 out of 5 of them will be diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, according to the researchers. The number of new cases is increasing by 4% to 8% each year, suggesting that basal cell carcinoma will soon be as common as all other cancers combined, they write.
Botox May Ease Multiple Sclerosis Tremors
by Denise Mann
Study Shows Botox Injections May Have a Role in Treating MS-Related Hand and Arm Tremors
July 3, 2012 — Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will develop a tremor, and until now, there was little that could be done to minimize this shaking.
Now new research shows that shots of Botox, the very same wrinkle-busting injection that helps frown lines, may ease hand and arm tremors.
The findings appear in Neurology.
Dole Recalls Bagged Salad Because of Listeria Risk
by Richard Kearns
Recall Affects Salads Distributed in Nine States
July 2, 2012 — Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling 2,598 cases of “Dole Hearts of Romaine” bagged salad because of possible Listeria contamination.
The company is recalling salads that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can cause foodborne illness. The salads were distributed in nine states across the East and Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. No illnesses have been reported in this recall.
How Fireworks May Harm the Eyes
by Jennifer Warner
Scratches From Explosive Material, Not Blast Pressure, Behind Most Firework-Related Eye Injuries
July 3, 2012 — Putting on protective eyewear before setting off fireworks may help prevent common firework-related injuries.
A new study suggests exposure to flying debris from firework explosions may be a bigger factor in eye injuries than the force of the blasts themselves.
Researchers found that scratches on the cornea from projected explosive material were the most common injury in their small study. The cornea is the transparent tissue layer that covers the eye.
“The eye is the most frequently injured body part [related to use of fireworks] and accounts for more than 2,000 injuries annually,” researcher Vanessa Alphonse of Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University in Blacksburg, Va., and colleagues write in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Coffee, Fats May Affect Fertility Treatment
by Kathleen Doheny
High Coffee Intake, Some Fats May Lower Odds of IVF Success
July 5, 2012 — What a woman drinks and eats — especially coffee and fat — may affect her chances of success with infertility treatments, two new studies suggest.
“If you drink more than five cups of coffee a day, you reduce your chances of achieving pregnancy during IVF treatment by 50%,” says researcher Ulrik Kesmodel, MD, PHD, a consultant gynecologist at the Fertility Clinic of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark.
First-Time Teen Alcohol, Drug Use Peaks in Summer
by Jennifer Warner
Youths More Likely to Try Alcohol, Cigarettes, and Other Drugs During Summer Months
July 3, 2012 — Teens are much more likely to try alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs for the first time during the summer months, according to a new survey.
Researchers found first-time use of these substances, as well as marijuana and hallucinogens, peaks during June and July, with thousands more youths trying them each day compared to other months.
Earlier-Term Babies, Slight Learning Delay?
by Salynn Boyles
Findings Suggest Importance of Delaying Non-Medical C-Sections
July 2, 2012 — Earlier-term infants may have an increased risk for learning delays, a new study shows.
When researchers compared gestational age at birth to academic test scores in third grade, they found that children delivered at 37 and 38 weeks’ gestation had lower scores than children delivered in their 39th, 40th, or 41st gestational week.
The differences were small. But the findings suggest that even among babies considered full-term — defined as delivery at 37-41 weeks — gestational age at delivery may influence development years later.
Teen ‘Sexting’ More Common Than Thought
by Kathleen Doheny
More Than 1 in 4 Teens Have Sent Nude Pictures, Study Finds
July 2, 2012 — Sexting is common among teens, with more than 1 in 4, or 28%, admitting they have sent a naked picture of themselves through text or email, according to new research.
If they had sent a naked photo, they were also more likely to be sexually active, the study shows.
“It may be a reliable indicator of actual sexual behavior,” says researcher Jeff R. Temple, PhD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch Health in Galveston.
The study, which polled 948 public high school students, is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
Cat Litter Parasite May Raise Suicide Risk
by Salynn Boyles
T. Gondii Infection More Common in Women Who Attempted Suicide
July 2, 2012 — Women infected with a parasite found in dirty kitty litter, undercooked meat, and unwashed vegetables may be at higher risk for self-injury and suicide, a new study shows.
In the study, published today in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers report that women infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii were more likely to attempt suicide than women who were not infected.
Spanking Linked to Long-Term Mental Health Issues
by Denise Mann
Physical Punishment Has Long-Lasting Consequences on Children’s Mental Health
July 2, 2012 — Pushing, grabbing, slapping, shoving, and other types of physical punishment may increase a child’s risk for developing several types of emotional problems as he or she ages, a new study shows.
This type of harsh physical punishment is different than physical and sexual abuse or neglect, but it still has lasting repercussions.
The findings appear in the August 2012 Pediatrics.
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